🔍 Where Do Boils Happen?

Boils often appear on:

• Armpits
• Neck
• Face
• Buttocks
• Back
• Shoulders
• Inner thighs
• Around the ears or nose
• Skin folds (especially in people who are overweight)

⚠️ Signs and Symptoms

• Painful red lump, sometimes the size of a pea or golf ball
• White or yellow tip (filled with pus)
• Area feels hot, swollen or itchy
• May ooze or leak fluid
• You may feel tired or feverish
• Sometimes more than one boil appears
• Skin around it may turn red or sore

🤒 Who Gets Boils?

You are more likely to get boils if you:

• Sweat a lot or live in a hot climate
• Wear tight, dirty, or synthetic clothes
• Have diabetes, obesity, or other illnesses
• Have poor hygiene
• Share razors, towels, or clothes
• Have low iron or vitamin C
• Have weak immunity (due to HIV, TB, or long-term illness)

🏠 How to Care for a Boil at Home

✅ Do:

• Put a clean warm cloth on the boil 3–4 times a day for 10 minutes
• Keep the area clean and dry
• Wash the skin gently with antibacterial soap
• Cover the boil with a clean bandage
• Shower daily and wash your hands often
• Change clothes, towels, and sheets regularly
• Take painkillers like paracetamol (if needed)

🚫 Don’t:

• Don’t squeeze or burst the boil
• Don’t scratch it
• Don’t share towels, razors, or clothes
• Don’t use herbal creams unless a health worker says it's okay

🏥 When To See a Health Worker

Go to the clinic or hospital if:

• You have more than one boil
• The boil is on your face, near the eyes, or nose
• You have a fever or feel very sick
• The boil is very big or spreading
• It doesn’t heal in 2 weeks
• You get boils often
• The skin around it becomes very red, hot, or swollen
• You have HIV, diabetes, or another immune problem

🛡 How To Prevent Boils

✅ Keep yourself clean—wash daily
✅ Wear loose, clean clothes made of cotton
✅ Eat healthy food—fruits, vegetables, water
✅ Avoid smoking
✅ Wash and change towels and sheets often
✅ Don’t share personal items (like razors or towels)
✅ Don’t pick your nose—use a clean cloth or tissue
✅ Try to lose weight if you are overweight
✅ Manage health conditions like diabetes, iron and vitamin C deficiencies.

🌍 Special Notes for Sub-Saharan Africa

• Boils are very common due to the hot weather, sweating, and poor access to clean water
• Health education and early treatment can reduce spread
• Encourage community hygiene—clean water, bathing facilities, and avoiding overcrowding
• Boils are not caused by spiritual attacks or curses—they are treatable medical conditions